GOIáS, GOIáS

Goiás
State	Goiás
Area:	3,108.0 km²
Population:	26,705 ''(IBGE 2005)''
Elevation:	496 m above sea level
Postcode (CEP):	76600-000
Became a city:	1727
Distance to Goiânia:	148 km
IBGE statistical microregion:	Rio Vermelho Microregion
Website:	Prefeitura Municipal da cidade de Goiás

'Goiás' (also known as 'Goiás Velho') is a small city and municipality in the state of Goiás in Brazil. The population was 26,705 (2005 projection) in a total area of 3,108.0 km² (2002). It is the former capital of the state and preserves much of its colonial heritage. In 2002, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Contents

World Heritage Site

Location

Geography

Political Data

Demographic Data

Economy

Education and Health

History

Festivals

External links

References

World Heritage Site

It was the old state capital of Goiás until 1937, when the government seat was transferred to the recently built Goiânia. It was founded by the famed Bandeirante explorer Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva, nicknamed ''Anhangüera'', and was called in colonial times Vila Boa ("good village" in Portuguese). Given its historical importance, the historical center of Goiás was included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2001.

Location

Municipal boundaries:

★ North: Faina

★ South: Mossâmedes

★ East: Itaberaí

★ West: Itapirapuã and Matrinchã

★ Districts: Calcilândia, Buenolândia, Davidópolis, São João e Uvá.
★ Povoado (village): São João da Lajinha.

★ Aglomerados (smaller than a village): Areias and Ferreiro
Distances

★ Goiânia : 148 km

★ Aruanã : 178 km

★ Brasília : 307 km
Access can be made by highways GO-070 / Goianira / Inhumas / Itaberaí / BR-070.[1]

Geography

The topography of the municipality is characterized by rugged terrain and several rivers. The Serra Dourada Mountains are nearby. Waterfalls and rapids are easily accessible from the center and several of them have beaches open to the public. The most important are:

★ Balneário Cachoeira Grande, 6 km from the city

★ Balneário Santo Antônio, 6 km from the city

★ Balneário Bacalhau, at the entrance to the city
Rivers that cross the municipality are:

★ Rio Vermelho, Urú, do Peixe, Ferreira and Índio

Political Data

★ Eligible voters: 21,609 (06/09/2004)

★ Mayor: Abner de Castro Curado (January 2005)

★ Vice-mayor: Anajarino Garcia Júnior

★ Councilmembers: 09

Demographic Data

★ Population growth rate 1991/2000: -0.27.%

★ Population in 1980: 42,967

★ Population in 1991: 27,782

★ Urban population in 2003: 19,882

★ Rural population in 2003: 7,034

★ Households in 2000: 7,855

Economy

The economy of the region is dependent on tourism, cattle raising, and agriculture.
The cattle herd consisted of 233,000 head, including 20,090 in 2003.
The main agricultural products in total hectares of planted area were banana (203), oranges (82), hearts of palm (85), rice (3,000), beans (260), corn (3,650), soybeans (700), and wheat (110). ^[1]
'Economic Data'

★ Gross Domestic Product in 2003: R$152.448 million

★ Gross Domestic Product in 2002: R$125.391 million

★ State ranking of GDP in 2002: 46 out of 246 municipalities

★ Classification of GDP in 2002: R$41.187 million (Agriculture), R$32.582 million (Industry), R$53.241 million (Services)

★ PIB per capita in 2003: R$5,677

★ PIB per capita in 2002: R$4,656 (state average was R$5,921)

★ Industrial units: 27 (10/06/2005)

★ Retail units: 223 (abr/2005)

★ Banking institutions: BRADESCO S.A. - Banco do Brasil S.A. - Banco Itaú S.A. - CEF. (01/06/2005)

★ Dairies: none (07/06/2005)

★ Meat-packing houses: Frigorífico Margem Ltda

★ Automobiles: 2,126

Education and Health

★ Literacy rate: 85.4%

★ Infant mortality rate: 28.53 in 1,000 live births

★ Schools: 56 (2005)

★ Classrooms: 286

★ Teachers: 421

★ Students: 8,534

★ Hospitals: 04 (July 2003

★ Hospital beds: 386

★ Walk-in public health clinics: 16

★ Doctors: 56

History

Goiás Velho was founded in 1727, its name being a tribute to the Goyaz Indians, the inhabitants of the area before the arrival of the Europeans. Its houses, chapels and churches are testimony to the height of the gold rush era. The history of the town, which is intertwined with the history of Goiás state, and certain reminders of the wealth of past centuries carved in gold, can be seen in places such as the Museu das Bandeiras, built in 1761; the Colégio Sant'Ana, founded in 1879 by Dominican friars; the church of Nossa Senhora d'Abadia, constructed in 1790, with its altar painted in blue and gold; and the Casa da Fundição, dating from 1752, where the gold from the mines was cast.
Surrounded by the Serra Dourada, Goiás Velho is the native city of the poet Ana Lins dos Guimarães Peixoto Bretas (1889-1985), better known as Cora Coralina. Although she started writing at 14 years of age, she published her first book when she was 75. In order to survive, she made and sold crystallised sweets. The house where she lived, one of the oldest in the city, dating from 1782, has become a museum, containing her furniture, personal possessions, documents and letters from illustrious correspondents such as the poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987) and the Bahian writer Jorge Amado, one of the main representatives of the literature of the North East region and one of the most widely read Brazilian authors both inside and outside the country.

Festivals

In Goiás, the most popular festival is the Procession of the Fogaréu, which occurs on the Wednesday before Easter Sunday. It is one of the most traditional events of Holy Week in Brazil and only in Angra dos Reis is a similar procession celebrated. During the ceremony the farricocos (the people dressed in medieval robes and hoods that accompany processions of penitence) simulate the arresting of Jesus by running through the streets of the town at midnight with torches to the sound of drums. There is a great resemblance with some traditions that take place in Spain at the same time of year especially in Toledo and Sevilla. The darkness, the torches, and the speed of the men with covered faces create a medieval atmosphere, frightening and exciting.
It was believed that the devil was loose in the streets of the town on that night, frightening all, especially the children. Originally, only men could participate but today that has changed. Superstitions like the presence of a werewolf and a headless mule are also manifested in this popular festival.
Tourists come from far and wide to witness the spectacle. In 2006, according to the Diario da Manhã a newspaper from Goiânia, 10,000 tourists came to watch the procession.
For photos see [2] and [3]
==Municipal Human Development Index==

★ Life expectancy: 67.28

★ Adult literacy rate: 0.838

★ School attendance rate: 0.866

★ MHDI: 0.736

★ State ranking: 125 (out of 242 municipalities in 2000)

★ National ranking: 2,283 (out of 5,507 municipalities in 2000)
''Data are from 2000''
For the complete list see frigoletto.com.br
'Sources of Data'

★ Diario da Manhã

★ IBGE

★ Seplan

★ Frigoletto

★ City Brazil

External links

★ Goiás, Património da Humanidade

★ Cidade de Goiás

★ City Brasil-Goiás

★ Diario da Manhã

★ Fogareu Procession

★ Prefeitura Municipal da cidade de Goiás

References

1. Cidades@


★ See also List of municipalities in Goiás